(WTAJ) – You may notice that after big winter storms the lines to car washes can be quite lengthy with the influx of people out washing their cars.

That’s because people are trying to wash the salt off of their cars. To prevent road conditions from being severe PennDOT will be out before the storms to treat the roads.

However, the salt treatment that we appreciate when we’re trying to drive through bad weather has some long-term side effects that most would rather avoid.

Salt is a corrosive material and when left on exposed metal for long periods it can cause problems.

According to Erie Insurance, the two car parts that take a brunt of the salt side effects are the brakes and fuel lines. Both of which are close to the undercarriage of the car, which means they take a lot of road salt damage.

One of the best ways to prevent any unnecessary road salt damage is to wash the undercarriage of the car every few weeks and after any heavy winter weather.

You can find more advice on how to protect your car from salt on the Eric Insurance website.